Railroad anticreeper



Nov. 1, 1938. J. CLARK RAILROAD ANTICREEPER Filed Sept. 28, 1937 Jobmu CZanK. W

Patented Nov. 1, 1938 UNITED s'r ATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My invention is a. railroad anti-creeper.

An important object of the invention is to provide an anti-creeper which may be attached to any standard tie plate and rail to prevent the rail from creeping longitudinally in either direction.

'A further object of the invention is to provide an anti-creeper which is adapted to be applied to rails of different weights and sections and tie plates of different characters, thus eliminating the necessity of using different types of anticreepers.

A further object of the invention is to provide an anti-creeper oi the above mentioned character which has a three point contact with the base of the rail and the tie plate.

A further object of the invention is to provide an anti-creeper of the above mentioned character which will hold the rail from creeping and yet possess sufficient flexibility to allow the rail to have a limited amount of vertical movement with respect to the tie plate.

A further object of the invention is to provide an anti-creeper of the above mentioned character which is very easily attached to or removed from the rail, without damage to the anticreeper.

A further object of the invention is to provide an anti-creeper of the above mentioned character having means holding the same in place upon the cross tie embodying a threaded bolt and nut, the threads and nut being covered, so that the threads will not corrode or rust, whereby the bolt may be conveniently removed after several years of service, without damage to the threads.

A further object of the invention is to provide an anti-creeper of the above mentioned character which may be installed during the laying of new rails, in such a convenient and easy manner that it willv not slow up the work of laying such rails.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to'designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an anti-creeper embodying my invention, showingthe same in use,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same,

Figure 3 is a plan view of two of the anticreepers, in use, a

Figure {l is a perspective view of a shouldered nut included in the device, and,

Figu r e 5 is a, perspective view of the anticreeper.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a rail having a base 6, arranged upon a tie plate 1,

having the usual upstanding flanges 8 to engage with the edges of the base. The base 6 has an upper inclined face 9. The tie plate I is arranged upon a cross tie Ill, and is secured thereto by spikes H. The tie plate I is provided with vertical openings l2, passing through the flanges 8, and leading into larger recesses it, as shown.

The numeral l4 designates my anti-creeper which is suitably strong or stiff and possesses a desired degree of resiliency. This anti-creeper is elongated and is curved or arched throughout its length, with its convex side uppermost, providing a body portion or shell is and a tail it having an elongated transverse contact edge, jaw or line ii, to engage with the tie plate I. The anti-creeper is transversely curved or arched, and the body portion has sides or arms l8, provided with elongated contact edges, lines, or jaws l9, inclined to more readily engage with the inclined face 9 throughout their entire length. The contact edges I! and iii are arranged in a triangular group, providing a three point contact. The body portion or shell I5 is generally spherically curved and has its convex face arranged uppermost. Extending through the lower end of the shell it are openings l9 and 2 arranged in a triangular group, and forming the arms it and it, which are arranged in a triangular group. The opening Zll is disposed within this triangular group and near its center. The arms it and 58 are provided with the end edges ill and i9. When a downward pressure is applied to the upper end of the shell I5, this pressure is transmitted in a downward direction by the arms to the end edges in a manner tangential to the shell. This is an important feature of the invention as it permits of the anti-creeper being made relatively light and yet will have suflicient stiffness to produce the desired downward pressure upon the base of the rail.

The anti-creeper is provided with an opening 29, arranged substantially centrally of the triangular group of jaws or arms l1 and I9, to receive a vertical bolt 2i. onal head 22 for convenient turning and a screwthreaded end 23 which passes through the opening [2 and engages within the screw-threaded opening 24 of the nut 25, held against turning within the recess l3, and provided with a lateral 5 extension 26, engaging beneath the tie plate, to hold the nut level and oppose the upward movement of the nut while it is held against rotation within the recess l3.

My anti-creeper may be applied in position 1 while laying the rails 5. The nut 25 is arranged within the recess l3 and the tie plate I is then arranged upon the cross tie and secured thereto by the spikes III. The anti-creeper M is then placed in position, with its contact edges [9 This bolt has a polygengaging the face 9 of the base 6 and its edge I] engaging the upper face of the tie plate. The bolt 2| is then passed through the opening and engages within the screw-threaded opening 24 and this bolt is screwed up to apply pressure in the anti-creeper l4, placing the same under the desired tension. The downward pressure applied to the upper end of the anti-creeper is transmitted by the arms to the end edges in a manner tangential to the shell. Since the anticreeper is somewhat resilient, should the contact edges I!) not originally engage with the inclined face 9 throughout their entire length, the anticreeper will be flexed longitudinally so that the elongated contact edges will properly engage with the face throughout their entire length. A similar flexing action will cause the contact edge I! to properly engage with the upper face of the tie plate 1 throughout the entire length of the edge I1. The contact edges I9 are preferably not parallel, but converge slightly inwardly, aifording a better gripping engagement with the face 9, and the maximum gripping area between these parts may be effected by the longitudinal or transverse flexing of the anti-creeper. The main function of the device is to prevent the creeping of the rail 5 longitudinally in either direction, but the anti-creeper I4 possessing a suitable degree of resiliency, both transversely and longitudinally, will permit of a limited vertical movement of the base 6 with respect to the tie plate. This prevents, to a considerable extent, the up and down' churning movement of the ties in the ballast during the summer months and also the pulling out of the spikes during the winter months when the ties are frozen in the ballast. When conditions are such that the ties are loose under the rails, the anti-creeper increases its frictional engagement with the face 9 of the base, due to the transverse resiliency of the creeper, and holds the rail from creeping longitudinally in either direction. It is preferred to use two of the anti-creepers in connection with each tie plate I, as illustrated in Figure 3.

In view of the foregoing description it is thus seen that my anti-creeper will accommodate itself to rails having bases of difierent cross sections and to tie plates of difierent shapes. Further, the anti-creeper may be applied when laying the rails. The location of the nut 25 causes the nut to be housed or covered within the recess l3 so that the threads 23 of the bolt will not rust or corrode, after months of service, and the bolt 20' may be removed without destroying the threads.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of parts, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A resilient railroad anti-creeper, comprising a generally spherically curved shell having three spaced openings and spaced arms between the openings, the arms having end edges, the end edges of two arms engaging the base of the rail and the end edge of the remaining arm engaging the tie plate or tie, and means for exerting downward pressure upon the shell which is transmitted by the arms to the end edges in a. manner tangential with respect to the shell.

2. A resilient railroad anti-creeper comprising a generally spherically curved shell having its convex surface arranged uppermost, the shell being provided through its lower end with three openings for affording three spaced arms, each arm having an end edge, two of the arms having their end edges arranged to engage with the base of the rail and the third arm extending outwardly beyond the base for engaging a tie plate or cross tie, said shell being provided in its upper portion with an opening, and an element passing through the opening and serving to exert a downward pressure upon the shell which pressure is transmitted by the arms to the end edges in a manner tangential to the shell.

3. A resilient railroad anti-creeper comprising a shell which is curved longitudinally and transversely and has its convex side arranged uppermost, said shell having openings formed through its lower end for affording three arms, each arm having an end edge, two of the arms having their end edges arranged to engage with the base of the rail and the third arm being longer than the two arms and arranged to engage with the tie plate or cross tie, said shell having an opening arranged generally centrally of the triangular group, and an element passing through the opening and serving to exert downward pressure upon the shell, which pressure is transmitted to the end edges in a manner tangential to the shell.

4. A resilient railroad anti-creeper comprising a shell, which is generally spherically curved and having its convex surface uppermost, said shell having a triangular group of openings formed in its lower end to afford a triangular group of arms, each arm having end edges which are substantially long, the end edges of two of the arms engaging the base of the rail with such end edges converging toward the base of the rail and the third arm engaging the tie plate, said shell having an opening disposed generally centrally of the triangular group, and an element held within the opening and serving to exert a downward pressure upon the shell which is transmitted by the arms to the end edges in a manner tangential to the shell.

5. A combination with a tie plate having flanges to receive therebetween the base of a rail, said tie plate being provided with a recess, a nut held within the recess, a generally spherically curved shell having its convex face arranged uppermost, said shell being provided through its lower end with openings providing a pair of arms for coaction with the base of the rail and another arm for coaction with the tie plate, said shell I having an opening formed in its upper portion, each arm having an end edge, and a bolt passing through the opening and having a lower screwthreaded end to engage the nut, said bolt serving to exert a downward pressure upon the shell which is transmitted by the arms to the edges in a tangential manner.

6. A railway anti-creeper, comprising a generally spherically curved shell having its convex surface arranged. uppermost, said shell having an edge to engage with the base of the rail and with the tie plate or cross tie, said shell being provided between these points of engagement with openings, and an element for exerting downward pressure upon the shell which is transmitted to the engaging edge in a manner tangential with respect to the shell.

JOHN CLARK. 

